WOW...that dunk just left me speechless. This dude is 34 years old with 17 seasons under his belt? That was early 2000 Kobe right there. I can't remember the last time I was that awestruck by a Kobe dunk. Maybe 2008 when he did that reverse pump vs the Hornets. But he was still in his prime then. And the dunks hes had over CP3 and Knight were nice but they're little guys so I wasnt that impressed. But this one was in traffic over 2 guys bigger than him. Just plain filthy. The fact that he can still explode like that, in the 4th quarter no less, is just crazy. No question that was an And 1 too. I loved Earl Clark's reaction

wtf is wrong with you guys. off course he isn t the same athletic guy like he was some years ago but he still has hops and can go to the basket and dunk the ball with authority if he wants to. he s still capable of doing some great drives and dunks if he wants. and only thing what some guys outhere can say is complaining that he barely got over to the dunk. man he dunked on wallace and humphries. enjoy that dunk and maybe be quiet with some stupid comments. wow lakers really have some weird fans even when they are doing great things , like kobe did with that dunk some guys come up with such stupid comments.man that p... me off be quiet and enjoy such moments instead of bashing him and complaining over him.

kobebryant248 wrote:wtf is wrong with you guys. off course he isn t the same athletic guy like he was some years ago but he still has hops and can go to the basket and dunk the ball with authority if he wants to. he s still capable of doing some great drives and dunks if he wants. and only thing what some guys outhere can say is complaining that he barely got over to the dunk. man he dunked on wallace and humphries. enjoy that dunk and maybe be quiet with some stupid comments. wow lakers really have some weird fans even when they are doing great things , like kobe did with that dunk some guys come up with such stupid comments.man that p... me off be quiet and enjoy such moments instead of bashing him and complaining over him.

Dude, calm down, those posters were just messing around. Everyone knows it was an amazing dunk and a momentum changing play.

No player is going to be the same person they were 10 or 15 years ago. Not in any sport, but for him to be able to still give us dunks, and blow by's with this many season under his belt is still incredible. That's why I'm more impressed by him than anyone else.

Kobe Bryant again has urged Dwight Howard to play through some pain while claiming that the Los Angeles Lakers' center "worries too much" about media and fan criticism.

Howard has missed the past three games because of a torn labrum in his shoulder, aggravating an injury he initially suffered earlier this season.

Despite winning the three games Howard has missed, the Lakers (23-26) are 10th in the Western Conference playoff race. They also will be without star forward Pau Gasol, who has a tear in the plantar fascia of his right foot, an MRI revealed Wednesday. The Lakers fear Gasol could be sidelined four to six weeks, a source told ESPNLosAngeles.com.

"We don't have time for (Howard's shoulder) to heal," Bryant said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with ESPNBoston.com's Jackie MacMullan. "We need some urgency."

The interview with MacMullan came one day after Bryant publicly challenged Howard, stating that playing through an injury is "something that you have to balance out and manage."

Bryant also asserted that Howard is preoccupied with how he is perceived by fans and media.

"He just wants people to like him. He doesn't want to let anyone down, and that gets him away from what he should be doing."

Bryant also speculated that Howard, in his first season with Los Angeles, may not be accustomed to the Lakers' standards.

"(Howard) has never been in a position where someone is driving him as hard as I am, as hard as this organization is," Bryant told MacMullan. "It's win a championship or everything is a complete failure. That's just how (the Lakers) do it. And that's foreign to him.

"When you think about it, there aren't many organizations that look at it that way. There are only two that can really honestly say that's what they live by -- Los Angeles and Boston."

Howard preached patience in a recent interview with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, pointing to the fact that Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal needed three years before winning a championship with the Lakers.

But the 34-year-old Bryant, who is averaging 27.6 points per game in his 17th NBA season, is approaching this season with more desperation.

"We don't have three years," Kobe said. "We've got this year."

Howard is listed as day to day, and his status is uncertain for Thursday's game against the Boston Celtics.

The Lakers are hopeful Gasol's injury will prompt Howard to return "sooner than later," a team source told ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Kobe Bryant again has urged Dwight Howard to play through some pain while claiming that the Los Angeles Lakers' center "worries too much" about media and fan criticism.

Howard has missed the past three games because of a torn labrum in his shoulder, aggravating an injury he initially suffered earlier this season.

Despite winning the three games Howard has missed, the Lakers (23-26) are 10th in the Western Conference playoff race. They also will be without star forward Pau Gasol, who has a tear in the plantar fascia of his right foot, an MRI revealed Wednesday. The Lakers fear Gasol could be sidelined four to six weeks, a source told ESPNLosAngeles.com.

"We don't have time for (Howard's shoulder) to heal," Bryant said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with ESPNBoston.com's Jackie MacMullan. "We need some urgency."

The interview with MacMullan came one day after Bryant publicly challenged Howard, stating that playing through an injury is "something that you have to balance out and manage."

Bryant also asserted that Howard is preoccupied with how he is perceived by fans and media.

"He just wants people to like him. He doesn't want to let anyone down, and that gets him away from what he should be doing."

Bryant also speculated that Howard, in his first season with Los Angeles, may not be accustomed to the Lakers' standards.

"(Howard) has never been in a position where someone is driving him as hard as I am, as hard as this organization is," Bryant told MacMullan. "It's win a championship or everything is a complete failure. That's just how (the Lakers) do it. And that's foreign to him.

"When you think about it, there aren't many organizations that look at it that way. There are only two that can really honestly say that's what they live by -- Los Angeles and Boston."

Howard preached patience in a recent interview with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, pointing to the fact that Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal needed three years before winning a championship with the Lakers.

But the 34-year-old Bryant, who is averaging 27.6 points per game in his 17th NBA season, is approaching this season with more desperation.

"We don't have three years," Kobe said. "We've got this year."

Howard is listed as day to day, and his status is uncertain for Thursday's game against the Boston Celtics.

The Lakers are hopeful Gasol's injury will prompt Howard to return "sooner than later," a team source told ESPNLosAngeles.com.

All I hope is that this information went to Dwight first, otherwise Kobe is being a pretty huge hypocrit. But I don't doubt Kobe has been saying this stuff to Dwight in the locker room.

Dwight DOES need to man up. I know it hurts, but if the labrum is legitimately torn from the bone (which is what we've been made to understand) then it's not going to get FURTHER damaged. It's hit the maximum level of damage and it requires surgery to fix. Well since he won't hurt it further, he's got to play through it. I know Kobe would and I also know that's an unfair comparison, but if Dwight is going to win rings he has to realize the level of dedication that you need. Kobe really is putting him through the flames right now and I honestly think Dwight can make it through... I just hope he does it soon. We need him on the court now more than ever. He's GOT to come back.

I'm just gonna throw it out there that I personally like Kobe's leadership style. He is not afraid to be the bad guy publicly in order to win, and I want that guy on my team. Not everyone likes that, but I much prefer it to a guy who cares what the media thinks and holds stuff back to look like a nice guy. Kobe's not a nice guy when it comes to winning and it's gotten us 5 titles, so I say he can say what he wants when it concerns what it takes to win.